Top 25 years by number of M7.0+ earthquakes - tap a column to re-sort, hover a row for detail, or open the strongest event on USGS. 997 major quakes recorded in total since 1950. Source: USGS Earthquake Catalog, refreshed daily. The current year is still in progress.
Do earthquakes come in waves?
Roughly 10-20 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes happen worldwide in a typical year. Big years aren’t a sign the planet is “waking up” - they usually reflect one or two giant earthquakes (like Chile 2010 or Japan 2011) whose aftershock sequences push many M7+ events into the same 12 months. The long-run rate has stayed remarkably steady.
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